Caleb Plant put off by Trevor McCumby choosing him for step up

Super middleweight Caleb Plant has outlined Trevor McCumby’s inexperience at the top level, as well as his advanced age for a “prospect,” as reasons why his opponent may not be as confident as he seems.

Plant is set to face McCumby on the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga pay-per-view undercard on Sept. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Plant (22-2, 13 KOs), originally from Nashville, Tennessee, now trains at DLX Boxing Gym in Las Vegas with his father, Richie Plant, and Stephen “Breadman” Edwards. This bout marks Plant’s return after a year-and-a-half hiatus. At a media workout on Tuesday, Plant, 32, wondered aloud why McCumby (28-0, 21 KOs) is only now climbing to a plateau he reached long ago.

“This is his shot,” Plant, 32, said of McCumby. “He’s a 31-year-old prospect. If he believed in his skills and was confident, why is he waiting this long to step up?”

Plant’s rise to world-class status was meteoric. He won the IBF super middleweight title in 2019, made three successful defenses and, in subsequent losses to Alvarez (2021) and David Benavidez (2023), demonstrated resilience and heart. He has become a notable figure in boxing, known for his quotes and fashion sense, including his “Revenge Tour” clothing line.

“I did that with 17 fights, fighting Jose Uzcategui, because I was confident in my skills,” Plant said. “[McCumby] can talk all he wants, but actions speak louder than words. If he truly believed in himself, he wouldn’t have waited this long to step up.”

Plant also took offense that McCumby chose him for his step-up fight. “I take that personally,” he said.

McCumby, 31, is based in Glendale, Arizona, but has relocated to Las Vegas for training.

“I haven’t looked past this fight,” Plant said. “Too many fighters talk about their next fight and then lose the one in front of them. I don’t want to be that fighter.”

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.